Loading...

Santa’s secret weapon? Experian Audiences

Published: September 26, 2025 by Lucy Simmonds, Content Marketing Specialist

At A Glance

Santa may have a sleigh, but marketers have something better: Experian Audiences, delivering accuracy, scale, and 25 new holiday-ready segments to help brands connect with the right shoppers at the right time.

If Santa used data to plan his holiday campaign, he’d call Experian. After all, how else could he deliver the right gifts to the right household?

From sleigh bells to savings alerts, the holiday season isn’t just about Christmas. Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Lunar New Year, or simply the season of giving, brands have one thing in common: a need to reach the right audience at the right time, with messaging that resonates.

Retail sales for 2025 are expected to grow 2.7–3.7% YoY, reaching nearly $5.48 trillion, with mobile commerce driving 75% of e-commerce growth. With so many brands vying for attention, delivering the right message to the right audience can be the difference between a one-time click and a lifelong customer.

In this article, we’ll unwrap Experian’s holiday shopping audiences, including 25 new audiences, designed to help you reach the most relevant shoppers for your holiday campaigns. These audiences are available for activation on-the-shelf of most major platforms, including TV, social, and programmatic. You can find the complete audience segment name in the appendix.

2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report

Download our latest report, in collaboration with GroundTruth, for data-driven insights you can use to refine your messaging and reach the right audience in their preferred channels this holiday season.

Deck the data halls: What separates Experian’s syndicated audiences?

Utilize Experian’s syndicated audiences to ensure your marketing messages resonate with shoppers.

  • Experian’s 3,200+ syndicated audiences can be sent to 200+ leading social platforms, such as Meta and Pinterest, TV, programmatic advertising platforms, and directly within Audigent for activation within private marketplaces (PMPs).
  • Reach consumers based on who they are, where they live, and their household makeup. Experian ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset for key demographic attributes.
  • Access to unique audiences through Experian’s Partner Audiences available on Experian’s data marketplace, within Audigent for activation in PMPs, and directly on platforms like DirectTV, Dish, Magnite, OpenAP, and The Trade Desk.
Work with Experian’s network of data providers to build audiences and send to an Audigent PMP for activation such as Affinity Answers, Circana, MMGY, Precisely Place IQ, and Resonate

Four audience categories to target this holiday season

Even Santa needs help organizing his list these days, especially with so many kinds of households to deliver holiday magic to. With the U.S. population growing by roughly 21.7 million people in the last decade, there are more holiday tables to set, more last-minute carts to fill, and more families hitting the road than ever before. Experian Audiences and Partner Audiences help Santa (and your brand) get the message just right.

New this season!
Experian now offers Consumer Packaged Goods audiences to help you reach consumers ready to get into the holiday spirit with seasonal baking, cooking, and other goods.

Here are four households on Santa’s sleigh route and how you can reach them with Experian:

  1. The merry makers
  2. The list-checkers
  3. The holiday hoppers
  4. The entertainers

Let’s unwrap the segments within each category.

The merry makers

This group isn’t just celebrating; they’re setting the stage. Whether they’re prepping for Friendsgiving or a cozy Diwali dinner, they’re fueling the season with food, décor, and hospitality. Holiday hosts and entertainers allocated more than $260 on food, candy, and decor alone in 2024, and according to GroundTruth, Saturday, December 7, 2024, was the busiest in-store shopping day across nearly every major category. Grocery store sales climbed 2.1% during the 2024 holiday season, and hosting Thanksgiving cost an average of $431.

Here are 10 holiday host audiences to target this holiday season and how you can reach them with Experian:

  1. NEW! Bakeries High Spend
  2. NEW! Caterers High Spend
  3. NEW! Chocolate Candy Box Bag Bar Shoppers 3.5oz Plus
  4. NEW! Chocolate Shoppers
  5. NEW! Cocktail Mix Shoppers
  6. NEW! Frosting and Frosting Mix Shoppers
  7. NEW! Marshmallow Shoppers
  8. NEW! Ready-to-Use Pie Crust Shoppers
  9. NEW! Sugar Shoppers
  10. Holiday Shoppers: High Spenders

How to use these audiences

Santa knows this household is hosting the holiday magic, so he loads his sleigh with gourmet cocoa, festive napkins, and extra marshmallows to make sure the party is stocked with seasonal favorites.

A consumer-packaged goods brand launching a new holiday baking product can reach Chocolate Shoppers, Holiday Shopping High Spenders, and Ready-to-Use Pie Crust audiences to connect with high-intent hosts prepping festive desserts.

The list checkers

This household isn’t just shopping; they’re creating the perfect gifts. In 2024, U.S. shoppers planned to spend more than $1,000 on holiday gifts as online purchases surged, totaling $241 billion between November 1 and December 31. Looking to 2025, according to our latest holiday insights, just 22% of consumers expect to spend more, while 27% anticipate cutting back. With consumer confidence still on an uneven footing and inflation having climbed up to 2.9%, shoppers are approaching holiday lists with greater caution. Experian’s purchase-based data shows mass retail remains a bright spot, with value-driven spending holding strong amid recent dips and rebounds, as shoppers cautiously resume purchases. That makes gift-focused households more deliberate with their choices and reinforces that brands emphasizing value and trust will earn lasting loyalty.

Here are 10 list-checker audiences to consider this holiday season:

  1. NEW! Precious Stones Metals Watches Jewelry High Spend
  2. Big Box/Club Stores Holiday Shoppers
  3. Black Friday Holiday Shoppers
  4. Cyber Monday Holiday Shoppers
  5. Heavy Buyer/Spenders Holiday Shoppers: In-Store or Online
  6. High Spend Gift Shoppers
  7. Holiday Shoppers: Apparel (Clothing)
  8. Luxury Gift Shoppers
  9. Online Coupon Users
  10. Post Holiday Shoppers

How to use these audiences

Santa knows this household goes big when it comes to gifting, so he makes sure their stockings are filled with trinkets, timeless watches, and the kind of treasures that twinkle under the tree.

A luxury jewelry brand launching a limited-edition holiday collection can activate Precious Stones Metals Watches Jewelry High Spend and Luxury Gift Shoppers audiences to reach buyers who believe in gifts that sparkle.

The holiday hoppers

This household is on the move. From planes and trains to jam-packed highways, travel is back in full force. In 2024, a record 119.3 million Americans traveled during the holiday period, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Road trips remained the most popular mode, while air travel hit a new high with 7.85 million flyers.

Here are 10 holiday travel audiences to target:

  1. NEW! Bridge and Road Fees Tolls High Spend
  2. NEW! Hotel High Spend
  3. NEW! Lodging Hotels Motels Resorts High Spend
  4. NEW! Passenger Railways High Spend
  5. NEW! Timeshares High Spend
  6. NEW! Tourist Attractions and Exhibits High Spend
  7. NEW! Travel Agencies and Tour Operators High Spend
  8. Holiday Budget Savvy Airline Travelers
  9. Holiday Travel – Airline
  10. Holiday Travel – Train

How to use these audiences

For this household, Santa swaps his sleigh for the train car – booking them on a magical Polar Express journey complete with cocoa, carols, and a golden ticket to holiday wonder.

When brands want to deliver the same magic, a travel package could bundle tickets to a railway’s Polar Express immersive experience with air travel and lodging, activating the Hotel High Spend, Travel Agencies High Spend, and Passenger Railways High Spend audiences to reach travelers seeking an unforgettable holiday adventure.

The entertainers

This household knows how to celebrate from the couch. Whether it’s football, holiday movies, or once-a-year specials, the screen is their gathering place. On December 25, 2024, Americans streamed more than 50 billion minutes of content, making it the most-streamed day in U.S. television history. From dazzling halftime shows to nostalgic holiday classics, entertainment is the heartbeat of the season.

Here are 10 entertainer audiences to target:

  1. Cable and Streaming TV Service Subscribers
  2. Cable Satellite or Streaming Network Subscribers
  3. Co-Watchers
  4. Cord Cutters
  5. Holiday TV
  6. NFL Enthusiasts
  7. Paid TV High Spenders
  8. Screen Size – Large
  9. Sports Enthusiasts
  10. Streaming Video: High Spenders

How to use these audiences

Santa knows this audience loves flipping between a holiday classic and the big game. That’s why he delivers gifts for households craving the latest binge-worthy content. It could be a subscription or a big-screen update wrapped with a bow.

These audiences represent a golden opportunity to pair campaigns with highly engaged moments. A beverage brand can target NFL Enthusiasts during a holiday football broadcast with ads for limited-edition game-day packs.

Sleigh your campaign goals this holiday season with Experian Audiences

The holiday season is the busiest time of year for brands – and for Santa. That’s why he relies on Experian to make his list, check it twice, and be sure every sleigh stop is spot-on. Experian’s data, ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset, allows brands to reach people based on demographic, geographic, and behavioral attributes (e.g., websites visited and purchase history). By using Experian Audiences in your holiday advertising campaigns, you can reach holiday hosts, gift-givers, entertainers, holiday travelers, and many more.

Where can you activate Experian Audiences?

Find our audiences available directly on over 30 platforms including:

Just as shoppers seek the perfect gifts, with the right strategy, your holiday advertising campaigns can capture the right shoppers. Need a custom audience? Reach out to our audience team and we can help you build and activate an Experian audience on the platform of your choice.

Want to activate an Experian syndicated audience on Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok or on a platform not listed above? Contact us today.

Additionally, work with Experian’s network of data providers to build audiences and send to an Audigent PMP for activation.

work with Experian’s network of data providers to build audiences and send to an Audigent PMP for activation such as Affinity Answers, Circana, MMGY, Precisely Place IQ, and Resonate

You can activate our syndicated audiences on-the-shelf of most major platforms. For a full list of Experian’s syndicated audiences and activation destinations, download our syndicated audiences guide.

Explore our other seasonal audiences that you can activate today.

Activate holiday audiences today with Audigent

Planning a performance-driven push this holiday season? Audigent will build customized deals that combine premium Experian syndicated or Partner Audiences and inventory into a single, streamlined deal ID – tailored to your campaign needs. Plus, our powerful supply-side optimization ensures your campaigns deliver top marks in performance.

Connect with the Audigent team today at AudigentAgency_Brands@experian.com to get your holiday campaign wrapped and ready to go.

Let’s make your holiday campaigns magical

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.


FAQs

Where can I activate Experian Audiences?

Experian Audiences can be activated on 200+ leading platforms, including social media (Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok), TV and streaming (DirectTV, Dish, OpenAP), programmatic platforms (The Trade Desk, Magnite, Nexxen), and directly within Audigent PMPs.

How many syndicated audiences does Experian offer?

Experian offers over 3,200 syndicated audiences, ranging from demographic and geographic segments to purchase-based and lifestyle categories. These are ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset for key demographic attributes.

What’s new for the 2025 holiday season?

This year, Experian has introduced 25 new holiday-ready audiences, including consumer packaged goods (CPG) segments like Chocolate Shoppers, Ready-to-Use Pie Crust Shoppers, and Cocktail Mix Shoppers, plus new travel audiences.

Can I create a custom audience?

Yes. If you need something beyond syndicated segments, Experian’s team can help you build and activate custom audiences tailored to your campaign goals on the platform of your choice.


Latest posts

Loading…
Introducing Switchboard

Adapt with Tapad, a part of Experian Leading browsers have made public announcements and technical deployments to reduce the digital advertising accessibility of third-party cookies for data collection, storage, and sharing due to growing privacy concerns. As a result, there has been growing momentum to find an alternative via cookieless IDs, with the intent to create a replacement that helps ensure continuity across the ecosystem.  At Tapad we’ve chosen to approach the market with a solution that provides agnostic interoperability for these cookieless identifiers, so that marketers can continue to work with the identity providers of their choice while maintaining the most holistic view of consumers across digital touchpoints. Introducing switchboard Switchboard is a module within The Tapad Graph that leverages our core capabilities across machine learning and identity management to provide a connection between traditional digital identifiers and the new wave of cookieless IDs that will be utilized in the future.  Customers of Tapad can take advantage of its broad ecosystem of identifiers to drive targeting and frequency capping strategies and enable detailed measurement and attribution post-deprecation of the third-party cookie. Our goal is to accelerate the adoption, scale, and utility of cookieless IDs with the release of the Switchboard module within The Tapad Graph, while maintaining an agnostic approach to the market. Switchboard for identity solutions In the evolving landscape agencies and marketers will need to invest, test, and analyze the best combination of cookieless ID partners to meet their objectives.  The Switchboard module will increase the utility and value of the cookieless ID space in conjunction with other addressable IDs,  by providing a layer of connectivity that will be natively missing with the deprecation of third-party cookies.  Identity solutions at launch: Switchboard for graph customers For existing Tapad customers who leverage the Switchboard module in The Tapad Graph, it will provide a seamless way to facilitate interoperability while resolving identity back to a Household or Individual. By providing this translation layer, Tapad will take on the responsibility of encryption and decryption protocols where applicable, which will deliver added functionality to our customers.  Tapad + Experian partners at launch: Use cases Resolve existing first-party data with new cookieless solutions through The Tapad Graph to minimize data loss Frequency cap at the Individual and Household level via Cookieless and traditional ID Reach consumers at scale across all touchpoints and IDs   Build a more inclusive and holistic view of the consumer journey Run accurate and scalable measurement before and after the formal deprecation of third-party cookies in Chrome Map online data into offline activities  Hear why industry leaders are adapting with Tapad + Experian As advertisers continue to contemplate the future of identity, Amobee is proud to partner with Tapad, a part of Experian, on this next-generation solution to provide a comprehensive view of consumers. With the imminent loss of cookies, advertisers must think creatively in order to respectfully engage consumers in a privacy-compliant way and Switchboard can play an important role in addressing their respective identity needs.  — Bryan Everett | Senior Vice President of Global Business Development | Amobee   Connecting offline and online shopper activity in a privacy-compliant way is fundamental to marketing effectiveness and determining return on ad-spend. That’s why we’re excited to be a launch partner for Tapad + Experian's Switchboard offering; it provides a unified solution for supporting the variety of proprietary and anonymous user ID standards required by advertising demand-side platforms today.  — Brian Dunphy | SVP Digital Business and Strategic Partnerships | Catalina   As the industry evolves, Tapad + Experian's Switchboard presents a privacy-safe solution that allows for the continued activation of data and an alternative to advertising within walled garden environments. We look forward to collaborating with Tapad and the industry as we collectively transition to support cookieless identity.  — Don Lee |SVP of Global Platform Partnerships | Eyeota   We are excited to participate in this proactive solution to the sunset of third-party cookies. Switchboard’s agnostic interoperability, with BritePool and other ID providers, will create high-value for marketers as they transition to the era of cookieless web advertising.  — David J. Moore | CEO | BritePool   Interoperability is paramount for brand marketers, agencies, publishers and platforms if we want to support an open and free Internet and break free of the stranglehold of walled gardens. Lotame Panorama ID’s participation in Switchboard reflects our steadfast commitment to collaborating across and within the industry and providing value to all of its players.  — Pierre Diennet | Global Partnerships | Lotame   At this pivotal moment in the industry, we are excited to be partnering with Tapad, a part of Experian on their cookieless initiative and making Retargetly IDx available into the Switchboard solution, providing global brands, platforms and publishers with a compliant, cookieless ID solution for the Latin American market; enabling them to target, reach and measure users at scale through the region.  — Daniel Czaplinski | CEO and Co-Founder | Retargetly   With Audigent’s Halo ID, we’re architecting a cookieless future where clients and partners have confidence in the actionability and interoperability of exclusive 1st party audiences, originated from some of the world’s leading publishers and creators. We see collaboration as being critical to a collective understanding of identity and Tapad, a part of Experian as a trusted partner with solutions such as Switchboard to support continuity for marketers’ addressability.  — Drew Stein | CEO and Founder | Audigent   Facilitating access and usage of 1st party identifiers is crucial to help marketers prepare for the cookieless future. Thanks to Switchboard, ID5’s cookie-less IDs will be available to a wider audience of brands and agencies and enable them to run effective, data-driven campaigns beyond the third-party cookie.  — Mathieu Roche | CEO and Co-Founder | ID5   Addressing the current identity challenge requires transparency and collaboration. We are pleased to align ShareThis data with Tapad + Experian’s growing ecosystem. ShareThis data helps marketers evolve beyond the cookie to complete the picture. Tapad + Experian’s Switchboard offering will support ShareThis’s deep connections to clients and technology platforms, preserving and growing the accessibility of our data.  — Michael Gorman | SVP Product and Business Development | ShareThis   Get in touch

Feb 09,2021 by Experian Marketing Services

Hashed email onboarding: offline to online connectivity

With the emergence of email addresses as a currency for brands to communicate with their consumers offline; attaching email data to in-store purchases lays the groundwork for future advertising strategies. However, this advantage in having an additional digital touchpoint also creates a new challenge for marketers. How do they connect what they know about their customers via offline data and PII, or personally identifiable information, with what they want to know about their online behaviors and interactions? Taken a step further, how can they create actionable strategies that connect these two streams of consumer insights in order to drive them to make more future purchases; and even become loyalists? At a time when the shift from traditional to online shopping feels more like a landslide; connecting online and offline data has never been more valuable or more urgent. The solution for these marketers lies in the framework of identity resolution; and a key capability called hashed email onboarding. Hashed email onboarding is a privacy-safe way to connect consumer email addresses to their related digital devices and other digital identifiers. The methodology prevents the consumers actual email address from being readable; while still providing marketers a connection between those emails and other touchpoints for an individual. Instead of understanding the customer journey in two distinct parts; how they interact with a brand or company offline and separately how they interact with a brand online; hashed email onboarding allows for the two parts to be woven together in a holistic view of that consumer. The power of connecting these data sets can be seen when combining offline and online attribution and measurement to improve frequency capping and look-alike modeling. It’s important to note that not all identity resolution vendors that onboard hashed emails function in the same way or provide the same level of data. Some connect only to desktop or only to mobile devices; while others don’t actually make direct linkages at all- they simply provide the hashed emails as a targetable digital audience for upload. While hashed email onboarding and the connection between offline and online data is a powerful strategy; it needs to be as structured as possible across the most data available to reveal truly efficient targeting and measurement strategies. Tapad, a part of Experian has built a hashed email product feature that works with the existing flexibility of The Tapad Graph to deliver the most holistic consumer view in the structure that works best for your business objectives. Get in touch

Jan 25,2021 by Experian Marketing Services

Tapad joins the Experian family!

To our valued customers and partners, it’s been an exciting week here at Tapad! As announced in a press release this morning, Tapad is now a member of the Experian family. We’re thrilled to continue to grow as a leader in identity resolution under the umbrella of a global expert in data, analytics and technology. Tapad and Experian are deeply connected by our commitment to serving the needs of our customers; and with a focus on quality of the data we provide, we have a common goal for the future of identity in the advertising ecosystem. As part of this announcement, we wanted to assure you, our valued customer, that we remain deeply committed to serving you today just as we always have. Nothing will change in your daily operations with Tapad. Experian immediately recognized that the success and growth of Tapad was directly tied to the strength and depth of its team members. As such, the acquisition will not result in any changes to day-to-day contacts at Tapad, or processes with weekly graph deliveries and other product support. Experian’s faith and investment in Tapad’s future and the future of identity resolution underscores what we’ve always believed our products could achieve and that we will be able to continue serving brands, advertisers, publishers, and the advertising and marketing ecosystem for years to come. On a personal note, I am excited to be transitioning my role as Chief Operating Officer of Tapad to the General Manager position of a global business that’s achieved exponential growth over the past several years; culminating in this strategic acquisition that will no doubt bring even more value to our customers in the future. We remain committed to open communication and welcome any questions you may have. Thank you,Mark Connon | General Manager, Tapad Contact us today

Nov 19,2020 by Experian Marketing Services


Appendix

Here are the complete audience segment names (taxonomy paths) for all audience segments discussed in this blog post.

The merry makers

  1. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Bakeries High Spend
  2. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Caterers High Spend
  3. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Chocolate Candy Box Bag Bar Shoppers
  4. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Chocolate Shoppers
  5. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Cocktail Mix Shoppers
  6. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Frosting and Frosting Mix Shoppers
  7. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: High Spenders
  8. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Marshmallow Shoppers
  9. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Ready To Use Pie Crust Shoppers
  10. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Sugar Shoppers

The list-checkers

  1. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Precious Stones Metals Watches Jewelry High
  2. Retail Shopper: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Big Box/Club Stores Shoppers
  3. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Black Friday
  4. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Cyber Monday
  5. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Heavy Buyer/Spenders: In Store
  6. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Heavy Buyer/Spenders: Online
  7. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Shopping Behavior > Gift Shoppers High Spend Spenders
  8. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Apparel (Clothing)
  9. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Luxury Gift Shoppers
  10. Retail Shoppers: Purchased Based > Shopping Behavior > Online Coupon Users
  11. Retail Shoppers: Purchased Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Post holiday

The holiday hoppers

  1. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Bridge and Road Fees Tolls High Spend
  2. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Hotels High Spend
  3. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Lodging Hotels Motels Resorts High Spend
  4. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Passenger Railways High Spend
  5. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Timeshares High Spend
  6. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Tourist Attractions and Exhibits High Spend
  7. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Travel Agencies and Tour Operators High Spend
  8. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Budget Savvy Airline Travelers
  9. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Travel – Airline
  10. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal> Holiday Travel – Train

The entertainers

  1. Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cable and Streaming Service Subscribers
  2. Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cable Satellite or Streaming Network
  3. Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Co-Watchers
  4. Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cord Cutters
  5. Publisher Derived > IAB Television > Holiday TV
  6. Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Activities and Entertainment > NFL Enthusiasts
  7. Television (TV) > TV Enthusiasts > Paid TV High Spenders
  8. Television (TV) > Viewing Device Type > Screen Size – Large
  9. Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Sports and Recreation > Sports Enthusiast
  10. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Entertainment > Streaming/Video/Audio/CTV/Cable TV: Streaming Video: High Spenders

Subscribe to our newsletter

Enter your name and email for the latest updates

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

About Experian Marketing Services

At Experian Marketing Services, we use data and insights to help brands have more meaningful interactions with people. As leaders in the evolution of the advertising landscape, Experian Marketing Services can help you identify your customers and the right potential customers, uncover the most appropriate communication channels, develop messages that resonate, and measure the effectiveness of marketing activities and campaigns.

Visit our website

Subscribe to our newsletter

Stay up to date on the latest industry news and receive expert tips from our marketing experts.
Subscribe now!